Pope: ‘Christian hope born of trust in God’s word’

The Pope took issue with the false idols offered by our modern world at his Wednesday General Audience, saying that “hope is a primary need in man” but that we can get lost in our search for security by trusting in the false hopes offered by idols. He said the Scriptures teach us that side by side with authentic hope, born of trust in God’s word, we can be tempted by false hopes and worldly idols, like money, power or physical beauty. Idols, he said, “confuse the mind and heart, and, instead of favoring life, they lead to death. The Pope then told a story he had heard in Buenos Aires of a “very beautiful woman who bragged of her beauty”. The woman commented, he said, “as if it were natural: ‘Oh yes, I …